This invention relates generally to alarm devices and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an audio and visual alarm for indicating a problem in the operating condition of a grain dryer.
Grain dryers are commonly used for drying corn, milo, wheat, or the like to reduce moisture content therein prior to storing the grain in a dry storage bin.
Generally grain dryers include a holding bin mounted in the top of the grain dryer housing for storing the wet grain therein. The wet grain is fed downward past a hot air chamber which has perforations in the sides and top of the chamber. The hot air chamber is heated by a gas fired burner mounted at one end thereof. A heater fan coacts with the burner in circulating the hot air through the hot air chamber, out the perforations therein, and through the grain as it is fed past the hot air chamber. The hot air is then discharged out the sides of the dryer. The grain is heated and dried as it moves past the hot air chamber.
The grain is then fed past a cool air chamber directly below the hot air chamber. The cool air chamber also includes perforations in the sides thereof for circulating cool air from a cooling fan mounted at one end of the cool air chamber. The cool air flows through the perforated sides of the cool air chamber and through the circulating grain thereby cooling the grain prior to being received in the bottom of the dryer and discharged from the dryer by an unloading auger.
The various prior art grain dryers include electrical and burner control panels for regulating the heated air temperature, fuel flow and safety controls for automatically shutting down the dryer in case of a power failure, loss of fuel supply, or a mechanical failure.
Heretofore, the electrical and burner control panels have not included any alarm device for indicating to the grain dryer operator that the burner is no longer operating, and, therefore, the grain being circulated past the hot air chamber is no longer being dried.
The prior art grain dryer control panels have included dial thermometers for regulating the heated air temperature, but there has been no alarm device for indicating a fire inside the dryer at its inception. Therefore, the grain may become burned and fed into the dry storage bin without the dryer operator's knowledge. Also grain dryer operators often fail to regularly clear out the insides of the hot air chambers where grain particles and waste have fallen through the perforations in the chambers sides and collected therein. These grain particles and waste will catch on fire causing a potential danger to the operator and possible loss of the dryer by fire.
The subject invention solves the above mentioned problems and provides an alarm device for safely and efficiently operating a grain dryer.